I Am Hope Foundation NZ

What I Am Hope Foundation NZ does

I Am Hope Foundation NZ is a New Zealand registered charity (CC44260) founded in 2019 — previously operating as The Key to Life Charitable Trust — by public figure Mike King, focused on youth mental health. Its core service is the Gumboot Friday programme, which delivers free counselling to young people aged 5-25 (rangatahi) across Aotearoa New Zealand, connecting them to a network of 650+ registered mental health practitioners via face-to-face, video, or phone sessions with no GP referral required. Since launch in April 2019, the programme has delivered over 122,000 counselling sessions to more than 40,000 rangatahi, with reported life-satisfaction rates improving from 28% to 66% post-counselling. The organisation additionally runs school-based mental health presentations, including the 'Little People, Big Feelings' programme for primary-aged children, alongside diversified fundraising programmes such as Donate a Calf, legacy giving, merchandise, events, and corporate cause marketing.

The business model is a hybrid donation-and-grant-funded charity. Counselling is provided at no cost to end users; revenue is generated through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, merchandise sales via store.iamhope.org.nz, community fundraising events (Annual Gala, Due Drop Hope Challenge, Auckland Marathon), and government grants. The NZ Government pledged $6 million specifically to Gumboot Friday and has allocated $24 million total for the counselling programme with the Ministry of Health, capped at $500,000 in monthly reimbursements. Current weekly operating cost for free counselling is approximately $125,000, equating to roughly $6.5M annually for that service line alone. Distribution combines an e-commerce merchandise store, retail partnerships (Gumbootcha kombucha in New World/Pak'nSave/Four Square; Gumboot Friday gumboots at Number One Shoes), in-school programme delivery, and digital outreach through a direct-to-counsellor online platform. The organisation does not operate proprietary technology beyond a basic service-matching platform and has no disclosed AI/ML capabilities.

Name

I Am Hope Foundation NZ

Legal name

I Am Hope Foundation

Website

https://iamhope.org.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

I Am Hope Foundation NZ is a registered New Zealand charity operating the Gumboot Friday programme, which provides free mental health counselling to rangatahi aged 5-25 via a nationwide network of 650+ practitioners, supplemented by school-based mental health presentations and a diversified donation, grant, merchandise, and events funding model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Mental Health Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD), Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGAEAH)

Keywords

• Youth mental health services
• Free counselling programmes
• Community fundraising charity
• School mental health education
• Youth suicide prevention

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Individual and corporate donations from the public, community-funded organization model.
2. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including clothing, accessories, books, and Gumboot Friday products through the online store.
3. Events and Fundraising Initiatives: Various fundraising events including Due Drop Hope Challenge, charity luncheons, gala events, sporting challenges, and community fundraisers.
4. Government Funding: Government grants for Gumboot Friday counselling services (capped at $500,000 monthly reimbursement through Ministry of Health).
5. Legacy Giving (Bequests): Donations through wills and estates.
6. Donate a Calf Program: Rural community fundraising via actual or virtual calf donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

I Am Hope Foundation NZ is a registered New Zealand charity providing free nationwide mental health counselling to young people aged 5-25 via its flagship Gumboot Friday programme, which connects rangatahi to a network of 650+ registered practitioners. The foundation also delivers mental health presentations and the 'Little People, Big Feelings' programme in schools across Aotearoa, and sustains operations through donations, government grants, merchandise sales, and community fundraising events.

Product overview

I Am Hope Foundation NZ operates as a mental health charity offering a portfolio of programmes centred on youth mental health support. The core service is Gumboot Friday, a free counselling platform for people aged 25 and under providing access to over 650 registered practitioners via face-to-face, video, or phone sessions. Supporting this is the I Am Hope school presentation programme delivering mental health talks in schools nationwide, including the 'Little People, Big Feelings' primary school initiative. The organisation runs multiple fundraising streams including merchandise sales through its online store (Gumboot Friday branded apparel, I AM HOPE clothing, books), the Donate a Calf rural programme, legacy giving, and community events such as The Gala and Auckland Marathon participation. A collaborative product, Gumbootcha kombucha, is sold through major retailers with proceeds supporting the charity. The I Am Hope Newsletter provides regular communication to supporters. The organisation does not operate as a technology platform with API integrations, but rather as a service-based charity connecting young people with counselling support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gumboot Friday Free Counselling
• I Am Hope School Presentations
• Donate a Calf

Quantifiable outcome

• 122,000+ free counselling sessions delivered since April 2019
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TR TruckscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTR Trucks partnered with I AM HOPE to support the wellbeing and future of New Zealand's next generation, helping light the path to a brighter tomorrow.
• TR GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner taking hope on the road through various initiatives supporting youth mental health.
• Fowler HomescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHope Home 2.0 project - Fowler Homes building property to support youth mental health across New Zealand.
• Good Buzz Beverage (Gumbootcha)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerProduct partnership where Gumbootcha kombucha proceeds support free counselling for kids. Sold in New World, Pak'nSave, and Four Square stores.
• Number One ShoesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSpecial Gumboot Friday Gumboots sold through Number One Shoes locations, supporting youth mental health.
• One NZ WarriorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with One New Zealand Warriors and Warriors Community Foundation for Charity Luncheon and game day events.
• Moko PounamuminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity Hero partnership with Moko Pounamu honouring everyday heroes who show compassion for youth.
• One Good Kiwi (Ardie Savea)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerArdie Savea selected Gumboot Friday for his One Good Kiwi squad, with token donations supporting the cause.
• Warriors Community FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint charitable initiatives with Warriors Community Foundation for youth mental health support.
• PGG/WrightsonminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAgricultural supply company processes Donate a Calf funds through to I Am Hope - no admin required for farmers.
• Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o WaiwhetuminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for The Gala 2024 event raising funds for youth mental health.
• Bidfood, Steinlager, Pernod-Ricard, Hire Plants, Auckland Stadiums, Go MediaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent sponsors supporting the Charity Luncheon with I Am Hope and One NZ Warriors.
• Gumboot Friday (Programme)coreOthersCore programme providing free counselling for young people aged 5-25, separate entity with its own website (gumbootfriday.org.nz).
• Out of the RoughminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmelia Kerr's mental health initiative (Treading Water video series) partnering with I Am Hope for youth support.

Scale indicators25 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Youthline New Zealand: NZ-based youth support organisation providing helpline, counselling, and youth development services across the country. Directly comparable as a frontline youth mental health and wellbeing charity operating in the same Aotearoa market with overlapping target population (under-25s).
• Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand: National mental health charity focused on promotion, prevention, and stigma reduction across NZ. Comparable as a similarly positioned mental health advocacy and education organisation competing for the same donor and government mindshare.
• Barnardos New Zealand: NZ's largest children's charity supporting vulnerable children and young people. Comparable as a major NZ youth-focused nonprofit competing for similar donor and government funding.
• Lifeline Aotearoa: NZ crisis helpline and counselling service providing 24/7 support. Directly comparable as a national mental health service charity serving overlapping populations, with a partly overlapping counselling/donor pool.
• Emerge Aotearoa: NZ mental health and addiction service provider offering community-based support. Comparable as an NZ mental health service organisation competing for the same government contracts and clinical workforce.
• Plunket NZ: New Zealand's largest provider of health and wellbeing services for children under five. Comparable as a long-established NZ child/youth health nonprofit with similar government funding and donation model.
• Whakarongorau Aotearoa / 1737: Government-funded NZ telehealth counselling service (formerly Homecare Medical). Closest publicly funded alternative to Gumboot Friday for free youth counselling, directly overlapping in target demographic and funding source.
• Outline NZ: NZ charity providing specialist counselling and support for rainbow (LGBTQ+) young people. Comparable as an NZ youth-focused mental health charity with a national service footprint and similar counselling-practitioner model.

Regional players

• Headspace Australia: Australia's primary youth mental health foundation operating a national network of centres for 12-25 year olds. Closest international analogue to Gumboot Friday in mission and target demographic, operating trans-Tasman.
• Kids Helpline (Australia): Australia's free 24/7 counselling service for young people aged 5-25, delivered by yourtown. Highly comparable service model, target age range, and funding mix (government plus donations), operating across the Tasman.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/iamhopeNZ
• LinkedInnz.linkedin.com/company/iamhopenz
• Instagraminstagram.com/iamhope_nz
• TikToktiktok.com/@iamhope_nz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about I Am Hope Foundation NZ